It absolutely amazes me that as many "Old-timers" are on this forum, as many fans who proclaim themselves as Steeler fans of the tough defense and pound an opponent down, the fans who question the effort and heart of this team would now when it would appear to be an advantage, want your team to "tank" a game. Not just any game but a game at home against the Freaking Browns, a game that cements a losing season at 7-9. For what? To draft higher and pay a higher initial rookie salary, a pick that can pan out just as well as say, Mendenhall or Sweed.

Screw losing, you lose one with such disdain for the game and it becomes much easier to do when its for real. I know this season did not go well. We did have injuries and while other teams have them, I have paid immense attention to other teams blight and ours was as bad as any this year. We went through coaching change and while most fans were happy, do not forget for one minute that Tomlin was not on board, neither was Ben, and if truth be know there was more than a few that were not happy on the team. It was touch and go as to whether this season was going to be a smooth transition. So now when all appears lost some would be happy with a loss to a hated opponent, for a chance to pick higher and put all you hopes in a player that is picked 5-9 spots higher. I hope our FO is able to actually do their homework and use the available picks to improve this team and not rely on having to lose to "improve". Unfreaking believable.

I don't agree that it's "unfreaking believable or freaking unbelievable"
I think you too easily dismiss the importance and benefit of drafting 5-9 spots higher each round.
Sure you have to do your homework, no matter where you draft.
Drafting higher doesn't guarantee success.
But I want a bigger and supposedly better pool of athletes available at each pick.
I'll take that built-in advantage any time.
As for acquiring a losing habit against a division rival, I think that's overblown.
It's the last game of the season, has no playoff implications and both teams are battered.
With today's players, it'll be soon forgotten.

Fuck no. I have no respect for an NFL team willing to tank even ONE game, no matter the circumstance, and I sure as hell won't take someone seriously who wishes to see their team lose for the benefit of a better draft choice. No way.

I'll be watching Sunday, with my terrible towel, and i'll be rooting for us to WIN.

Fuck no. I have no respect for an NFL team willing to tank even ONE game, no matter the circumstance, and I sure as hell won't take someone seriously who wishes to see their team lose for the benefit of a better draft choice. No way.

I'll be watching Sunday, with my terrible towel, and i'll be rooting for us to WIN.

What this guy said^^^^^^^

The same fans who call out the players and coaches for lack of effort are the same ones wanting to roll in order to have a higher school yard pick. Tell me how did picking Mendenhall work out better than if we had picked later and got Rice. I believe in Karma, and if I thought we lost on purpose i would expect to reap what we sow. I hope we never lose again.

Remember back in '06 when we beat the Bengals in overtime week 17? If we lose that game, not only is Darelle Revis in the bag for us, we have a good chance at snagging Patrick Willis. What does that mean? We won an extra game, but lost Darrelle Revis and Patrick Willis in the process. Great, we beat the Bengals in overtime - that's fantastic. We also lost out on two of the best players at their respective positions for what? For an extra win? A win that didn't mean anything, mind you. A win that at the end of the day, meant absolute shit.

No, we shouldn't win on Sunday. In fact, we should do everything we can to fucking lose that game and lose the dead weight on this defense and start with younger guys. I'm sorry, losing out on elite prospects so we can have 'pride' at the end of the season is bullshit. Winning gets us nowhere, guys. I don't want to lose out on another Darrelle Revis or Patrick Willis because we need pride in our team.

I'll give you this scenario. Right now, we're sitting at the 14th overall pick. Say we win, though. Say we beat Cleveland and this moves us up to 17 or 18 in terms of draft positioning. What if Te'o is still on the board at 14 - a place we could have had him - but he's not there by 18? I'm not losing out on another elite prospect so we can feel warm and fuzzy getting a win that means shit. Sorry, if you don't have pride in the Steelers at the end of the day - losing season or not - what are you doing on these boards?

Remember back in '06 when we beat the Bengals in overtime week 17? If we lose that game, not only is Darelle Revis in the bag for us, we have a good chance at snagging Patrick Willis. What does that mean? We won an extra game, but lost Darrelle Revis and Patrick Willis in the process. Great, we beat the Bengals in overtime - that's fantastic. We also lost out on two of the best players at their respective positions for what? For an extra win? A win that didn't mean anything, mind you. A win that at the end of the day, meant absolute shit.

No, we shouldn't win on Sunday. In fact, we should do everything we can to fucking lose that game and lose the dead weight on this defense and start with younger guys. I'm sorry, losing out on elite prospects so we can have 'pride' at the end of the season is bullshit. Winning gets us nowhere, guys. I don't want to lose out on another Darrelle Revis or Patrick Willis because we need pride in our team.

I'll give you this scenario. Right now, we're sitting at the 14th overall pick. Say we win, though. Say we beat Cleveland and this moves us up to 17 or 18 in terms of draft positioning. What if Te'o is still on the board at 14 - a place we could have had him - but he's not there by 18? I'm not losing out on another elite prospect so we can feel warm and fuzzy getting a win that means shit. Sorry, if you don't have pride in the Steelers at the end of the day - losing season or not - what are you doing on these boards?

It doesnt matter, Steelers will be in the teens win or lose. Te'o is projected to go in the top 10.

It doesnt matter, Steelers will be in the teens win or lose. Te'o is projected to go in the top 10.

It's just an example, though. I'm going to be really pissed off if we can't draft someone like Dion Jordan or CJ Mosley because we won a nothing-game against Cleveland. It doesn't make any sense to win and we get nothing out of it.